Gyroscopic steering apparatus of automobile torpedoes



, Sept. 22, 1925.

I A. E JONES GYROSQOPIG STEERING APPARATUS OF AUTOMOBILE TORPEDOES Filed March 20 1924 .B giti nownt at 1,;-

r I iin,.fresidifig flat er mvepr e Street; *fifwh h inst .11 t i bun yio' hmEns- 'landgheve inve'ritedicertaililhew and useful I IfiprbVment-s i'ri'or fiel ati figjtdithe Gyro J s bp i cf'steering Appztritus 10f Automobile oi'pedoes,; 055 which, 1 the fgl'lowing is a t t gThis 'inveiitiqn relatesto'g'yrescdpiesteer: 'ifn g g-ppamtusffdr automobile; tbrpgioes1,fl0jf L main which; heflywhe t m ri h .7 v (bee r p idly"splliifiup te-the reqliifed; speed; 1 maintained spinning byone, v e17 inbr'e sjet's f sh nsif rom h b h r n z' l i d' f whih t-he jh ssifihi li iih'h te h'h h h 19!! the other-1 11Yerhwl m hgh in} OOQSfiQIlGnCaQi the relative movement '00- 1 6 f1ior hi f imh r n i which the f wheel ijs retjfita blymoli nted', the direction of th p ai inl jla nt helpl of mitatlon. of the flywheelfis constantly varying,

, r Aj Q 1idingimthe BP t SQnMinYe iQn the 'a overmention dide ectishh iated y fixing the. qzz sg o th i h r-grl'h r zso al g m a-l ing o thah w ir c onso ,twists-alw ys' v rem nsec nsth t w t r spe t th ,v P n of; retatipnfdf the flywheel despite the. relative-movement that occurs between the a gime .ha t ing "T e" id 119 pr f bly P s J xia' ly -ix hroug the tru n s f a no le kpr f yfi 'th, flared mout v lwhi hisict r yw -he' Q er g h a r g th r;sf m thisno empi g p th "gforesaidbuckets orvpoek ets, of the flywheel; jthesupply conduit for-this nozzle is formed.

inth upp r ing frame a d the iv n ehiof-the nozzle is arranged in close prpx- :imity-xtog bu n co d: hgt 00. finghqus; en ithe; Supply cend ltx h n curring, durihg therunning bf the torpedo, betweennthe said gimbaljfring and the inner tainedf durijlg gngul gdi 'splacemenp O'f f m m al ing n 1 k t hei g'hndst p under hig Pres ure; a l ge bore" LB RCQ .Ebwmpnfmims; or, "WESTMINSTER; ..I&O1\TDO1T, E eLAN FAssIGNbIt TO @Ti-IE FzWl-IITEEEAD TOBPEDOQCOMPANY'LIMITEDLOEWESTMINSTERQENGLAND.

' hh e efitib l i ib thati w nt g ,7 si-lare .u b eddn h u u rman" and h ib fi r gim -jril g hal iihwwithj spe t to the -"suppdrting ,fl amei fire? this improved devicefwhich is toifl a Y I simpler character than similar devi'ees hereto fore proposed; comprises a slide sqr piston valve disposed in g'anf angularly adjustable pdrted valvejcasing Mid-Connected etc) agcrank Iiih f hr ie hy hiidht lf mbal r hgiprf 7 erablygbythe topLiverticm'gpivatithe fe" a fstirnup; mmberiwkgi hg engages w t pphef Quter fgirhbl "ring andhas aI ii Izixill ail:

ing to 'thejends 10f the steering cylinders, I

the exhaust ports being'preferablyfrmed in em side ofthe 'vaglvejjehesth. Thestid passages c0mmunicateIWithlsupp1y and'de'liyery onduit in the supportingframmnd; these 1 conduits are'se arr n edg th'aLt comml'inica' tion betweenjthem and th passages isfmairi 1- easing; Q

s il apot grfieapiirt't the nv nfigrilcn SlStljS ih mOuItfiDgi-QQ@hQbIBQQh-dOOfOf 7 torpedo tube a; setting d yicet for theffahgl'e l' one or moi'edetaehible eonnectiens between" this device :and 4m adjustingsspindle ,o'f

t d h hh e f h h ll- I s l qrder that 't the; said inventiqilf niary be" ele ai'ly understood and l eiagdily catri"ie(1]intb' h sh l 'o f h 1 67.7 tF gH 5 a d I, Figure '3 isajdiagrammatic viewfsh win la h ng be.

e or herizontal gimbeh ring in which the flywheel is rotatably mounted, C is the outer or vertical gimbal ring'in which the inner gimbal ring B is trunnioned at b, b and D is the frame in which the outer gimbal ring C is trunnioned at 0,.0. w

The inner gimbal ring B has fixed to it two air nozzles one of which is shown at b and the other is arranged diametrically opposite, the latter pointing upwardly in contradistinction to. the downward pointing of the nozzle b .v Each of these nozzles passes. axially through its contiguous trunnion b and its end receives the tapered end of a supply nozzle 0 carried by the outer gimbal ring C co-axially with the trunnion I). These, supply nozzles form extensions of pipes 0 which communicate with conduits 0 c in the outer gimbal ring. These conduits terminate in an annular recess 0 V which in turn communicate with an axial hole 0 in the lower; vertical pivot'c ofrthe outer gimbal ring, air under pressure'being conveyed to this axial hole through the passages a and The flywheel, A is formedwith pockets (some of which are shewn at a in Figure 1) with which the jeits'of air issuing from the nozzles 5 c'o-opera-te to maint'ain thespinning of the flywheel.

' E is the aforesaid large bore nozzle carried by the outer'ginibal' ring C and supplied with airunder high pressure, the air that issues from this nozzle cooperating with the pockets at of the flywheel A tosta'rt the latter spinning, The frame D has an air supply conduit (Z the mouth (Z of which is situated immediately above the entrance of the nozzle E when the outer gimbal ring is in its normal position; 7

F is the aforesaid piston valve and F is the angularly adjustable valve casing in the lower part of which the said valve is slidably disposed. This valve casing is conical and is formed with three circumferential grooves 7, f fwhich; at alla ngular positions of the valve casing, communicate with passages f 7" and F in the valve casing and with passages Fi F and F in the frame D. The passages f and F carry the supply of air under pressure to the valve F, the passages f and F" convey the air under pressure from the valve to one end of the steering cylinder F and the passages 7' and F convey ai-r underpressure from the valve to the other end of the steering cylinder, it being undeistoodthat the valve F establishes communication between the passage f and the passage f" or the passage f, or shuts ofi communication between these passages, according to the position of the valve. Exhaust ports F, f are provided for placing to exhaust whichever of the passages f, f is not connected-t0 the supply passage f. The valve F is connected to a stirrup member F which has a recess to receive a pin projecting upwardly from the upper vertical pivot c of the outer gimbal ring G in a position slightly removed from the axis of this pivot (see Figure 1) so as to constitute a crank pin. Thus during relative movement between the. valve casing F and the outer gimbal ring C, the valve F is moved longitudinally to control the steering of the torpedo. The upper end of the valve casing F has connected to it a worm wheel F between which and the seating for the casing F (which seating forms apart of the steering cylinder F and of the frame D) is a compression springj 'serving to hold the valve casing in contact with its seating. Meshing with this worm wheel is a Worm G carried by a spindle g (see Figure 3) arranged parallel to the axis of the torpedo.

The rear part of this spindle passes through a stufling box onthe torpedo shell and is detachably connected at g to a setting spindle G. The latter spindle is carried by the launching tube G and its rear end is detachably connected at g to a short spindle G which projects through the breech door g of the tube and has a pointer G movable over a graduated angle firedial g on the door; The said setting spindle G is made capable of ready removal to permit a torpedo to be introduced into the tube and is so disposed whenin position as to be clear of the torpedo tail and the rotating propeller blades. It will be understood that the part 9* serves to establish a connection between the short spindle Gr and the setting spindle G by the act of closing the breech door 9 It will also be understood that this feature of. the invention can be employed in connection with otherforms of angle fire devices of similar type. a a

hat I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:-

1. In gyroscopic steering apparatus for automobile torpedoes the combination with the flywheel", the inner gimbal' ring, the outer gimbal ring and the frame supporting the latter ring, of a nozzle fixed to said inner gimbal ring for directing a jet of air under pressure on to operative surfaces on said flywheel to maintain the latter spinning during the run of the torpedo, the receiving end of said nozzlebeing arranged axially within one of the trunnions of the inner gimba-l ring and an air supplynozz le on said outer gimb'al ring, the latter nozzle projecting into" but being unconnected with, the receiving-end of the first mentionednozzle;

2. In gyroscopic steering apparatus for automobile torpedoes, the combination with the flywheel the inner gimbal ring, the outer gimbal ring and the frame supporting the latter ring, of a large bore nozzle on said outer gimbal ring for directing air'under high. pressure on to operative surfaces on said flywheel for starting the spinning of the flywheel andanozzlefixedtosaid inner :run of the torpedo.

gimbal ring for directing a jet of air under maintain the flywheel spinning during the 3. In gyroscoplc steering apparatus: for

;automobile torpedoes, the combination with i 1 the flywheel, the inner gimbal ring, the'outer gimbalring and the frame supporting the latter ring, off-a large bore noz'zlejon said outer gimbal ring'with its receiving end ieccentricwith respect'to the pivotalaaXis of the outer *gimbal ring, for' directing air under high pressure on to operative sur iaceson said flywh'eelfor starting thespin- 'ning of the flywheel, anda nozz 'le fixedto said inner gimbalringlfor directing a jet of air under pressure on to said operative surfaces to maintain the flywheel spinning during-the run of'the torpedo.

4.1;15111 angle, fire 7 device for auto I mobile torpedoes,.thecombinationwith the I {flywheel of thegyroscope, the inner gimbal.

ring, "the outer gimbal ring, the frame supcrank pin carried by said outer gimbal ring for efiecting movement of said valve with respect to the valve casing when relatlve movement occurs between said valve casing and said outer gimbal ring.

pressure on to said operative surfaces to 5. In an angle fire device' forautoqi -mobile torpedoes, the combination'withthe flywheel of the gyroscope, theinner g'imbalfii ring, the outer gimbal'ring, the framesupg porting the latter ring, and the steeringjcylinder, of a reciprocating valve for.fcontrolling thesupply. of air-under .pressureftothe ends-of said steering cylinder, avalvecasing 1 which is arranged coaxially with the pivotal a Xisof said outer gimbal ring a-n' d'in the inner part of which said valve'is slidably- [and transversely disposed, a crank pin car- 1 'ried by said outer gimbal ring, and *astirv 50 if:

rupjmember interposed -.betw'een said crank pin: and sald valve for transmitting: movement fromsaid crank pin to'said valve with respect to the valve casing when relative" movement occurs between said valvecasmg and said outer gimbal rlng.

6. In atorpedo tube, the combinationwith the breech door,qof. an adjustable member V V mounted on saidfdo'or and means for'detach ably connecting,'sai'dlmember to7the adjus t Ling: member of anftang'le fire device oit' atorpedo within said tube.

' 7. In a torpedo tube, the combinationwithf the breech door, ofan adjustable pointer on e V said'door, a graduated angle fire dial on 'sai ddoor, a setting spindle in the tube and means for connecting said pointer to said spindle 3 the act of closing the breech V door and means for detachably connecting saidjspindle to the adjusting member of an angle fire device tube; V I

of a torpedo within said ALBERT EDWARD} JONES.- 

